Woman shot dead

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 February 1999, 18:56 GMT]Unidentified gunmen shot dead a 29 year old woman in the village of Thannamunai, 9 kilometers north of Batticaloa, last night said Police sources in the eastern town today.

Two armed persons had come to Edward Mary Benedict's house after dark yesterday. They had wanted to see Edward Iruthayamary, the mother of Mary Benedict and when she had set out to call her mother who was next door they had called her back and fired three shots, killing her on the spot.

In her evidence before Eravur coroner N.Seenithamby, Edward Iruthayamary, the dead woman's mother said that her daughter Edward Mary Benedict, 29, was married in 1988 to a cadre of the EPRLF and that she had had a son by him.

The EPRLF cadre had abandoned Mary Benedict in 1990. He had not returned to the family since then.

Later after the Sri Lankan army moved into Batticaloa, Mary, according to her mother, had developed a relationship with one Corporal Jayaratna of the SLA camp in the area.

Iruthayamary said that her daughter had a girl child from this liaison with the SLA corporal.

Soon after the birth of the girl, the SLA corporal had also abandoned Mary and had gone to his next posting without informing her.

Mary's son is 10 years old and her daughter is 6 years old said her mother in her evidence today before the Eravur coroner.

Mary had found employment as a housemaid in Kuwait later to support her two children. She had been employed in Kuwait for more than 3 years. Mary had come back to Thannamunai in March 1998.

Her mother said that she was not aware of Mary's connections after that.

Her elder and younger brothers also gave evidence before the Eravur coroner.

Police sources in Batticaloa, however, said that Mary had developed a liaison with an SLA soldier after her return from Kuwait last year.